Which type of case cleaning is?

[bassmatt]

Which case cleaning process does a better job the standard tumbler, or the new sonic cleaners? I will only be loading pistol rounds for now. I will be shooting lead alloy in the 44 brass. Which process is faster, cleaner, cost less to do? Thanks for the help.
Matt

 

[DarkRose]

Which case cleaning process does a better job the standard tumbler, or the new sonic cleaners? I will only be loading pistol rounds for now. I will be shooting lead alloy in the 44 brass. Which process is faster, cleaner, cost less to do? Thanks for the help.
Matt

Better? Not sure, I know that tumbling in media shines up the outside better, and gets residue off that, and I've not used ultrasonic, but read many places it does better on cleaning inside the case, which isn't supposed to be a huge deal with proper loads.

Ultrasonic also needs time figured in for the cases to dry. I'd say tumbling should be faster, depending on how shiny you like your brass. Probably cheaper too, as I'd think the media would last longer, but not positive on that.
However, ultrasonic can be used for other things as well (slides, bolts, handgun frames, car parts, etc.)

 

[AllenM]

I use standard walnut shell tumbling most of the time for pistol. But I also use this method when I really want things clean Brass Cleaning Using Stainless Tumbling Media System-Review It isn't faster but after using this nothing compares to the level of clean you will get. Even the primer pockets are spotless.
I tumble for 1.5 hours but the brass is wet when I'm done and have to plan for that.
I have tumbled pistol brass with primers in if I did not plan on loading right away and that worked real good. I just had to put them in a cardboard box someplace warm so they would dry.
I found if I put the wet brass in plastic tubs it took forever to dry

 

[Dave Doehrman]

Stainless Steel Media

I did the following review about 10 days ago. I'm sold on the stainless steel wet tumbling process.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...umbler_stainless_steel_media.html#post2993827

 

[Broom_jm]

A lot of this depends on your definition of "better" and what you mean by "clean". It's all very subjective, this notion of cleaning your brass. Truth be told, you can wipe a case with a rag and reload it...that is plenty clean enough.

If you want highly polished brass, the stainless systems will give you that. If you want brass that is "clean" (free of debris) and suitable for reloading, in the shortest amount of time, tumbling them in conventional walnut or corncob media is much faster, and less expensive.

Primer pockets and the insides of metallic cartridges need not be sparkling to be suitable for reloading. The outsides of the cases do not need to "shine" to be clean.

Washing your car takes 20 minutes, after which it is clean. Waxing it takes a good deal more time and will make it shine. If you want shiny brass, it takes longer and the stainless media will do a "better" job of it, particularly on the inside of the case...where it matters not at all.

 

[straight-shooter]

I want to thank Dave for the great review. As i've grown tired of my pistol brass getting so much build up in the primer pockets, the primers start to not seat correctly. Along with all the experimentation of dryer sheets, Nu-finish, Flitz among other wonder fixes in my vibrating tumbler. The dust must stop.

I'm definitely not opposed to new ways of getting from point A to point B and this is a viable solution. While it will add an extra step of decapping primers before tumbling, i don't mind. A Lee universal decapping die will do this without sizing the brass. Thus no die damage in the process.

Well what can I say Dave, you sold me and the equipment is in the mail.

I ordered the Thumler's Tumbler Model B, RCBS media seperator, steel media pins, Lee decapper die.

I plan on using the recipe of - 1/4 teaspoon of lemon shine and 2 tablespoons of dish soap mixed with the steel media. Seems to be the ticket.

I've also read that the amount of water can be reduced by 1 pound so that 1 more pound of brass can be added for a slightly larger batch without extending the tumble time with the same results... we'll see.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Shiny brass does not make your rounds more accurate. To me it's just a waste of time. Pre-treated corn cob works good enough for me.

 

[straight-shooter]

I suppose i better send everything back when it arrives then. Dang it, i messed up again. I can't seem to do anything right.

Just as an aside: I've tumbled with corn for many years and i think it's time to move on. It's not like i'm shooting a 1,000 rds a week and need the brass at the ready 24/7. Also i'd rather spend time doing something i enjoy versus the time i spend sitting in front of a tv. Been watching tv all my life, also time to move on.

 

[nucone]

I use an ultrasonic cleaner with either a commercial case cleaning solution or a 10% solution of Simple Green. It cleans very well although does not polish. The beauty of the ultrasonic is there is zero dust. The solution is usually so dirty after cleaning, it is difficult to see the brass. After rinsing, I lay the brass on a towel and roll it around to get excess water off. Then off to the oven set on warm for about an hour.

I decap bottleneck brass before cleaning because it drains better. I don't decap straight cartridges before cleaning primarily due to laziness. I have noted the primer pockets are pretty clean if you decap first.

 

[Boiled Owl]

Guess I'm too anal on my brass cleaning too. When I started I didn't have a tumbler, the reloads still went bang. I've been tumbling in treated corncob for years and it works fine, brass is clean and polished. Sometimes it takes awhile to get a nasty case looking good, but I just leave it in the tumbler with the next batch.
Maybe I want to switch for a better way? Clean necks & primer pockets? Pride in workmanship?

 

[straight-shooter]

People seem to get all up in the air about the drying process. For me, i'm going to roll them in a towel to get the outsides dry (two minutes) and then put them in a pillow case. Lay them on the shoe rack in the dryer for 30 minutes on high heat (No time of mine involved since i'm loading the next batch in the tumbler).

If you don't have a shoe rack then you could open the dryer door and lay the pillow case over the door flat and close it. This would hang the pillow case in front of the door inside and it won't rotate in this fashion and the heat would dry it.

Might cost me a few bucks extra on my gas bill but if i can't afford that then i shouldn't be in this hobby in the first place.

 

[Dave Doehrman]

Maybe I want to switch for a better way? Clean necks & primer pockets? Pride in workmanship?

Yeah, why switch. Black powder and round lead balls go boom and have killed many people and game animals. Next thing people will want is to do away with flint and use those new fangled percussion caps.